How to Harden Internet Explorer 10 Against Malware

With the release of the new Internet Explorer 10 you might be left wondering what all new features the browser has under its hood. I will cover some of the more common known features, but also delve into some of the lesser known features of the new Internet Explorer 10 browser and explain why it is the best Internet Explorer yet.

Touch Ready

The new Internet Explorer 10 includes some great functionality for touch screen users. Users can now enjoy a full screen touch browser that they can easily swipe on their tablet to the next page with out zooming in to hit the tinynext button with the new Flip Ahead feature. You can rest assured you can use multi touch on IE10 as well!

Fastest Browser Yet

The new IE10 browser boasts some of the fastest load times yet. There are many websites boasting fastest times yet with Internet Explorer 10, beating out the latest versions of Chrome and Firefox!

Best HTML5 Support Yet

The new Internet Explorer 10 blows IE9 out of the water on HTML5 test. Internet Explorer 9 only scored a 138 while IE10 scores a 320, not far behind other leading browsers! A major improvement!

No More Stylesheet Limit

The outdated stylesheet limit for IE9 is no more! The new Internet Explorer 10 will now allow unlimited stylesheets just as all other competing browsers. Normally the limit of 31 stylesheets was not a problem unless you were on a CMS like WordPress, in which many of your plugins have their own stylesheet. No longer will Internet Explorer stop loading stylesheets for you website leaving you wondering why things are not working!

More CSS3 Support

Configuring Internet Explorer 10 :

Spyware, drive-by downloads, and other malware target web browser vulnerabilities by exploiting outdated browsers, add-ons, and plug-ins. One of the best defenses against malware is to have the latest browser version, such as Internet Explorer 10, installed on your PC.

By configuring and hardening Internet Explorer’s browser settings, you can disable unnecessary (or hardly used) browser settings that may be vulnerable to an attack. For enhanced Internet Explorer security, perform the following steps:

Turn Pop-up Blocker On : Pop-up Blocker blocks pop-ups from websites you visit. This security feature allows you to choose the level of blocking you prefer. You can receive notifications when pop-ups are blocked, and you can create a list of websites that you wish for pop-up blocker to avoid. The websites on your list will display pop-ups as the normally would.
To turn on Pop-up Blocker, click the Tools button located on the upper-right hand corner and select Internet options. On the Privacy tab, under the Pop-up Blocker section, select the Turn on Pop-up Blocker check box and click OK. Please note that pop-up blocker will not block pop-ups from websites within your Local intranet or Trusted sites security zones.
To block all pop-ups, including those from sites within your Intranet or Trusted sites, click the Tools gear icon button located on the upper-right hand corner and select Internet options. On the Privacy tab, under the Pop-up Blocker section, select Settings. From the Pop-up Blocker settings dialog box, click on the Blocking Level drop-down and select High: Block all pop-ups (Ctrl + Alt to override). Click Close and click OK to save your settings.

Enable Protected Mode : Protected Mode is a feature within Internet Explorer that helps prevent malware from running on your browser.
To turn on Protected Mode, click the Tools gear icon button located on the upper-right hand corner and select Internet options. On the Security tab, check the Enable Protected Mode check box located within the Security level for this zone section and click on the OK button. You can enable Protected Mode for all zones: Internet, Local intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted sites.

Set Internet Explorer to High Security : High security settings will disable features such as ActiveX, Active Scripting, and Java. By disabling these features, Internet Explorer is much more secure. Consequently, legitimate websites that utilize these features may not load properly, forcing you to add them to the Trusted Zone list. To set your Internet Explorer to the highest security level, access the Security tab the same way as you did for the Protected Mode steps. Within the Security level for this zone section, raise the bar to High and click on the OK button.

Enable ActiveX for Specific Websites : ActiveX is an Internet Explorer component that enhances your browsing experience. However, cyber-criminals can exploit this feature and deploy malware through your Internet browser. Therefore, you should selectively enable ActiveX for websites you trust. Click the Tools gear icon button located on the upper-right hand corner, navigate to Safety, and select ActiveX Filtering. When you visit a webpage that supports ActiveX, Internet Explorer will prevent the controls from loading. With ActiveX Filtering, an icon is displayed in the address bar notifying you that ActiveX has been filtered. Clicking on the icon will enable ActiveX for that particular webpage.

Disable JavaScript : JavaScript makes webpages interactive, but it is also a gateway for malware. You should only enable JavaScript for websites you trust. To disable JavaScript, access the Security tab the same way as you did for the Protected Mode steps. Click on the Custom level button and scroll down to the Scripting heading. Configuring Internet Explorer provides additional protection when you web surf. You can install additional browser add-ons that will enhance your browser security. By performing these steps, you will optimize your Internet Explorer security.

Download Internet Explorer 10